Etisalat on Sunday announced the achievement of a major milestone at Expo 2020 Dubai with the completion of the first phase of the construction of two state-of-the-art Points of Presence, PoPs, that will play a critical role as the main interconnection point for the provision of services to the entire Expo 2020 site as well as serve as a communications gateway to the world at the global event.

At the Expo 2020 site, a pair of Tier III PoPs is currently being constructed that will provide complete resilience, carry massive inward and outward global traffic and deliver advanced connectivity services to all the users visiting the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

The PoPs will support an extensive virtualised network deploying the most advanced systems including a central telecom hub that will eventually support all the requirements of the "Dubai South" community after Expo 2020. These points will also support all the telecom services, namely fixed, mobile, Wi-Fi and IPTV services, and provide millions of visitors with an advanced connectivity experience at the expo. The construction of the PoPs is set for completion by the end of 2018.

Esmaeel Alhammadi, Senior Vice President, Network Development, Etisalat, said, "Today’s strategic announcement is significant as it sets the path for the next level of digital infrastructure development for Expo 2020 Dubai. This is in line with the country’s objectives of achieving digital transformation with the deployment of best-in-class technology and infrastructure to provide advanced services to all customers and visitors at this global event. Etisalat will continue to work closely with the Expo 2020 team in enabling digital innovation to make sure that all visitors will enjoy a seamless experience on their digital journey at the global event."

Mohammed Alhashmi, Senior Vice President - Innovation and Future Technologies, Expo 2020 Dubai, said, "One of the most critical parts of any global event is the digital highway that enables the electronic services on which we all so heavily rely.

"Today is an important milestone for Expo 2020 and Etisalat. We have worked together with our Official Premier Partner to build a network capable of connecting the expo to the world and the world to the expo. This project epitomises Expo 2020’s main theme, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’"

Etisalat is the Official Telecommunications and Digital Services Partner for Expo 2020 and is involved in creating the infrastructure for the site to make it one of the fastest, smartest and best-connected places in the world. As part of the Premier Partnership, Etisalat is involved in creating a telecommunication infrastructure for the expo site that will provide on-site Wi-Fi capable of handling 300,000 visitors daily and deliver a cutting-edge, immersive digital experience that brings the expo theme to life for the 25 million expected visits.